Operation Melon: A makeover for my Westy!

Discussion in 'Restorations' started by Fruitcake, Nov 2, 2017.

  1. Fruitcake

    Fruitcake Supporter

    I love my bus, it's my first one and I've owned it for just over 3 years during which time I've been on several camping trips, rock festivals and shows in it. I've met loads of really friendly and interesting people in it and I enjoy the camaraderie of being a bus owner. I also love the 1970's. (I still live there), with its funky styles and colours. but for me my bus has always seemed a bit dull and staid. The paint is a faded dull green and I've never really liked the original Westfalia Berlin interior with it's boxy edges and brown Formica. The interior I've never found to be overly practical either with a lack of worktop space and a dodgy fridge that seems to work but draws 10 megawatts from the battery.

    So it's time for a makeover! Fortunately the bus has spent most of its life in California and is as solid as the day it was made so it's not going to be one of the major restorations that usually appears on here with new panels, chassis parts and weeks of welding. The only major job will be a new rear corner and rear panel as at some time in its life the bus has had a whack in the corner and it was repaired by using 200Kg of filler which is now starting to crack badly. ​

    The plan is to repaint the bus in its original Sage green and to airbrush it into a melon! I'm also making a new practical interior. The melon idea is my daughters, we've thought of various themes suck as a mystery machine, graffiti underground train, hippy wagon etc, but it's definitely going to be a melon similar to the picture below of a caravan I've nicked from Google.

    034389db123ee702e1a12fc89c4cdbf8--vintage-campers-vintage-trailers.jpg

    We may even create a slice by dyeing the poptop canvas and painting pips on it (but that's just getting silly!)
     
    MeelisV, VWStratts, paradox and 4 others like this.
  2. Fruitcake

    Fruitcake Supporter

    stripped interior.jpg 20171012_085053.jpg electric point hole.jpg electric point panel.jpg I actually started the work a couple of weeks ago. I've stripped out the interior and have replaced the horrible mains hook up panel that has been bodged by a PO and welded the holes on the front panel where the spare wheel used to be mounted.
     
    Coco, MeelisV, cunny44 and 3 others like this.
  3. Awesome! And you deffo need to do the poptop slice of melon thing:lol:
     
  4. MorkC68

    MorkC68 Administrator

    Good luck with the project!
     
  5. Anything but original and your losing a shed load of money on the resale ... westies are known for their interiors ...
     
  6. Fruitcake

    Fruitcake Supporter

    I'm not the slightest bit interested in selling it but you're quite right. Everything is reversible, I'm keeping the original interior intact so if I do ever decide to sell I can flash over the bus in the original colour, replace the poptop canvas and refit the interior - nobody would ever know ;)
     
    scrooge95, MeelisV, VWStratts and 4 others like this.
  7. Bhubesi

    Bhubesi Supporter

    Thank goodness you did something about that bit of tread plate bodge.
    Tony
     
  8. I love the melon idea
     
  9. Your bus your rules
     
    Fruitcake, rob.e and paradox like this.
  10. Fruitcake

    Fruitcake Supporter

    Sandblasted inside the vents ready for priming and found some rust on one of the front steps shock horror!!

    dirty vent.jpg clean vent.jpg step.jpg
     
    Coco likes this.
  11. Baysearcher

    Baysearcher [secret moderator]

    Are you ready for paint yet?
    Come on. I wanna see the Melon!
     
  12. Fruitcake

    Fruitcake Supporter

    Quick update, all primed except for the rear corner (together with my old Suzuki TS185 frame), trying to get the door shuts and door insides painted next week. I can then refit the doors then fit the rear corner before final flatting and off to my mates workshop for painting.
     
    Valveandy, gameman141 and CollyP like this.
  13. Fruitcake

    Fruitcake Supporter

    It's been a while but I've had a disaster with getting the bus painted. It should have been done last December but the painter has been unwell, had problems on other jobs, is overrun with work etc, etc so I've finally given up and decided to do it myself.

    The problem is that it HAS to be ready for Download festival in the first week of June, not negotiable!!!

    So I've erected a tent and made a start over the past couple of days, the plan is to paint the roof green and the rest of the bus white, flat it back and use it a canvas for, I'm not sure what yet, whilst putting it back together. It can then all be done properly and sensibly at some time in the future. It'll probably look like a train crash but let's see.

    Many thanks to those that advised me on paint etc, in a previous thread.


    Tent erected

    Tent.jpg
     
    paradox likes this.
  14. Fruitcake

    Fruitcake Supporter

    Bus in tent.............. as of Saturday bus.jpg bus.jpg masked.jpg roof.jpg
     
    Valveandy, exuptoy, Coco and 6 others like this.
  15. Fruitcake

    Fruitcake Supporter

    I managed to paint the bus in Pastel White on Tuesday and quite surprised myself. I've painted small cars and bike stuff but a bus is huuuuge in comparison. There are a couple of runs that I can flat out but it'll make a great canvas. Todays main job is painting the poptop and the bumpers.
    paint1.jpg paint2.jpg
     
    Flakey, Murtle, Barneyrubble and 5 others like this.
  16. i love a green bus, and i love your idea of the melon theme.. BUT i really love they way the bus looks already in all-over pastel white ;D add some dark rims and it would look super.

    you could keep it this colour then add some vinyl melon / fruit graphics - easy to pull off if you change your mind or it looks pants. better for resale maybe also later on?

    02p etc. your bus your rules
     
    vw newbie likes this.
  17. Fruitcake

    Fruitcake Supporter

    I must admit I am shocked at how nice the bus looks in this colour, I would never have dreamed of painting in Pastel White. I do need to get the custom paintwork idea out of my system though! At least I now know that I can repaint it again :rolleyes:
     
    rob.e and Valveandy like this.
  18. Fruitcake

    Fruitcake Supporter

    Painted the roof yesterday in the tent, pleased with progress and am starting the artwork today which will either be a disaster or a success!

    roof painted.jpg
     
    paradox and Murtle like this.
  19. Fruitcake

    Fruitcake Supporter

    Managed to get the first stage artwork done today, it's now a touch multi coloured (or a mobile gay pride flag as my daughter suggested!)
    The next stage is start airbrushing the detail over the whole thing.

    Warning - Purists and those of a nervous disposition look away now :eek:

    multi1.jpg multi2.jpg multi3.jpg multi4.jpg
     
    nicktuft, MorkC68, womball and 4 others like this.
  20. Fruitcake

    Fruitcake Supporter

    Didn't do a great deal yesterday, played about with the airbrush doing some detailing. Hope to fit the roof today whilst my daughter carries on doodling!

    art1.jpg art2.jpg
     
    S1mon, scrooge95, SteadyEddie and 3 others like this.

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